Assistant Professor in Paleomagnetism & Rock Magnetism

Assistant Professor in Paleomagnetism & Rock Magnetism

Utrecht University

Utrecht, Netherlands

The Department of Earth Sciences is looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious colleague in the general field of paleomagnetism/rock magnetism, to further strengthen our Earth Science programme in terms of research and teaching.

Your job

As our new assistant professor, you are expected to develop your own rigorous and novel research line that will be complementary to the ongoing work of your UU colleagues in general, and in the Paleomagnetic laboratory Fort Hoofddijk external link in particular.

In the last decades, the paleomagnetic laboratory Fort Hoofddijk has evolved into a world-class facility, famous for its fundamental contributions to paleomagnetic methodology and its applications to studies of the Earth's magnetic field, stratigraphy, and tectonics. Ongoing research focuses on magnetostratigraphy and geomagnetic polarity time scales, global (plate) tectonic reconstructions, short-term behaviour of the Earth’s magnetic field, and advancing magnetic microscopy. We are especially looking for candidates with complementary expertise and a proven track record in e.g. fundamental paleomagnetism, rock magnetism, or environmental magnetism. Your expertise serves as a corner stone for (improving) laboratory instrumentation and developing new technologies, as you will have a role in keeping Fort Hoofddijk at the forefront of paleomagnetic laboratories worldwide.

You will play an essential role in education by inspiring students and developing innovative courses. It is expected that you will participate in teaching in both our undergraduate (e.g. elementary Earth Sciences, geological fieldwork, and/or supportive courses like Mathematics, Chemistry, or Physics) and our graduate programmes (e.g. Paleomagnetism and Geomagnetism), as well as in supervising graduation projects. On average, the department of Earth Sciences targets at equal contributions to educational activities and research for all its tenured academic staff, resulting in (up to) 40% BSc/MSc teaching duties, 40% research, and 20% of other activities (management tasks, committee work, etc.).

You will also contribute to the supervision of early career scientists such as PhD candidates and postdocs. Moreover, you will also have a role in mentoring our technicians and visiting researchers.

Your qualities

We seek a highly motivated candidate who holds a PhD degree in Earth Sciences or a relevant other natural science. Besides that, you bring the following qualifications:

• You have a strong record of original research within the fields of paleomagnetism and/or rock-magnetism, or you apply paleomagnetic and/or rock-magnetic techniques to other areas within the Earth Sciences;
• You have an outstanding record of academic research, reflected in high-quality publications. You show evidence of academic independence, creativity, and scientific rigor;
• You have successfully applied for or have a strong potential to generate research funds. You are willing to actively apply for research grants;
• You are an inspiring teacher and mentor to Bachelor's and Master's students, as well as PhD candidates and hold a basic teaching qualification or are willing to obtain one in the near future;
• You have a keen eye for public outreach.

Experience of at least two to three years as a postdoctoral researcher is desirable. We are especially looking for a strong team player with good communication and networking skills. You thrive in a dynamic department and enjoy collaborating with people with different (academic) backgrounds. You easily collaborate with other members of the Earth Science department, both in terms of science, teaching, and organisation.

You are expected to have an excellent level of English, both spoken and written. We require a qualification English at C1 level (CEFR or comparable to level 3 of the Lecturer Assessment Grid) or to be prepared to obtain this level by training. For non-Dutch speaking candidates, Dutch language skills should be at the level of practical communication within two years of the appointment. Willingness to further develop this toward the ability of teaching in Dutch in the longer term is desired.

Your vision on teaching, research vision and funding potential will be considered by the committee. Publication track record, teaching record, acquired research funds and leadership experience will be weighed against the number of years of academic experience, also considering (parental) leave and part-time appointments.

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